LimeWire sued by music publishers

Beleaguered file-sharing service LimeWire has been slammed with another lawsuit from a coalition of eight music publishers.

The National Music Publishers’ Association filed the suit against LimeWire on behalf of several publishers including the “Big Four” (EMI, Sony/ATV Music, Universal and Warner/Chappell Music). The coalition is seeking both equitable relief (i.e. an injunction) and damages from LimeWire, founder and CEO Mark Gorton, and its ex COO and CTO, Greg Bildson, for alleged massive copyright infringement.

Speaking about the lawsuit, NMPA president David Israelite said:

“The pervasive online infringement facilitated by LimeWire and others like them has consequences for everyone in the music chain.

Operations like LimeWire must understand the songs that make their illegal venture lucrative don’t appear out of thin air. Behind every song is a vast network of people – a songwriter, a publisher, a performer, a record label. They have robbed every individual in that chain by selling their site as an access point for music and then refusing to properly license the music.”

The move follows hot on the heels of last month’s court ruling in which LimeWire was found liable for copyright infringement in a case brought by the RIAA. In the wake of that ruling, the RIAA suggested that the company might be liable for as much as $1 billion in damages. This new suit by the NMPA has been filed as a related case.

For their part, LimeWire insist that they are working on a groundbreaking ‘new service’ which will benefit the entire legal music distribution ecosystem. In a brief statement on their website (not specifically responding to the latest lawsuit), LimeWire says:

Right now, we are focused on the development of a new music service that will give users boundless music portability and compatibility. We are excited about the prospect of moving forward with the music industry, embracing necessary changes together, and unlocking the value of music.

In light of the mounting legal issues facing the company, it seems increasingly unlikely that we will be seeing any new service from LimeWire in the foreseeable future.